La Salle’s Spikers eye improved results in UAAP 77

As the first half of UAAP Season 77 has come to a close, excitement has begun to build up for the much-awaited UAAP Season 77 Volleyball tournament which is fast approaching.

For the DLSU Green Spikers and Lady Spikers, their respective fates last season have given them extra motivation to excel this coming season. Despite the graduation of several key players, the two Taft-based volleyball squads have been eagerly preparing for the trials they are to face this season, which will surely be filled with surprises and unexpected events.

Courage despite the odds

This season’s volleyball campaign will be all about handling departures and adjustments for the Green Spikers. Aside from Kevin de la Vega and former team captain Philip Cerveza, who both finished their five years in the UAAP last season, the Green Spikers will enter the season without ace player Raymark Woo after the incoming third year player suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear last June. According to the Green Spikers’ head coach Ronald Dulay, Woo may be permanently out for the season as it may take him six to seven months to recover from his injury. However, Dulay assured that the coaching staff already appointed someone to fill in the gap and made adjustments when the team joined the 2014 UniGames.

Despite the major blows to the team, the Green Spikers are very much prepared for the coming season, aiming to reach their ultimate goal of entering the Final Four and eventually, the finals. During the offseason, the team concentrated on improving their skills and teamwork. “Na-improve yung skills ng team. Then, sa team, yung teamwork sa loob, yung system namin, naayos namin, nabago namin which is maganda yung kinalalabasan ngayon habang papalapit yung UAAP,” Dulay shares. Veterans such as Aljun Bartolome, Aaron Calderon, and Brendon Santos have also been guiding the team’s two rookies in adapting to the system.

The Green Spikers are not making promises for the season, but they are certainly ready to take on the challenge step-by-step. Dulay expects the team to work and push harder towards intensifying the level of their game in order to have a much better campaign this year. “Maging aral na sa kanila yung pagiging fifth place namin last year,” the Green Spikers’ head coach adds.

This year’s challengers

After being dethroned by the ADMU Lady Eagles in the finals last season, the Lady Spikers enter this season as challengers for the first time since UAAP Season 73, fighting to reclaim the championship.

In the coming season, the Lady Spikers will concentrate on further honing their skills inside the court. One of which is their service that, according to head coach Ramil de Jesus, is one of the factors which had contributed to their unsuccessful run in the previous season. Aside from that, they are also focusing on the possible attacks that could be used by the individual players in the coming games.

Similar to the Green Spikers’ approach this year, the Lady Spikers plan to take on the competition in a step-by-step manner. “Hindi kaagad na nasa taas. Dumaan ka muna sa baba,” de Jesus says. The road to finals will not be an easy one as the Lady Spikers have acknowledged that several teams are stronger and more competitive than last year with their new line-ups and recruits. De Jesus says, “Kung maka-isa ka [sa kalaban mo], sa susunod kailangan maka-isa ka uli. Hindi pupwedeng dahil tinalo mo ito, confident ka na hindi na [sila] mananalo sayo.”

With the graduation of last year’s team captain Abigail Maraño, incoming fourth year player Ara Galang was appointed to take her place as the leader of the team. De Jesus shared that his decision to make Galang the new captain is not only because of the skills that she has on the court, but also because of the attitude that she possesses which could help boost the morale of her teammates. Mika Esperanza was originally supposed to replace Maraño as team captain, but the veteran setter was injured during the Philippine SuperLiga (PSL) and may be out for the entire season.

Several senior players are expected to step up and lead the team, including veterans Mika Reyes, Cyd Demecillo, and Kim Fajardo. The longtime head coach did not say that the team is better than last year, but shares that the desire to win remains. Despite several disadvantages and the fear of having just one veteran setter, de Jesus and the rest of the Lady Spikers are determined to hit their target of reaching the Final Four, and eventually making it back to the finals.

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The Green Spikers and Lady Spikers will play their first games of the season on November 23, Sunday, at The Arena in San Juan City. The Green Spikers will face the UP Fighting Maroons at 8 am, while the Lady Spikers will take on the AdU Lady Falcons at 4 pm.